Purab Kohli, Jal and Water

The next war will not be for oil. It will be for water. 780 million people still lack access to clean drinking water. The world celebrated Water Day on 22 March to raise awareness about the crisis that is waiting to happen. Just 2.5% of the world’s water is fresh water and 29% of it is underground. By 2025, there will be a billion more mouths to feed with a trillion cubic meters of water needed for agriculture alone. In the midst of this we see ads for buildings which boast of a swimming pool in each balcony, yes…

It is hard not to be preachy if you want to build awareness about water conservation. That is why the idea of a film based on a water-diviner Bakka played by Purab Kohli appealed to me. In the film Jal (releasing on 4th April 2014), the audience is asked to make a choice. In a parched land, birds and humans compete for water, who has a greater claim? Why?

I asked Purab about his experience of playing the lead in Jal with Tannishtha Chatterjee and Kirti Kulhari. The film has some breathtaking visuals that have been shot over a month and a half in the Rann of Kutch and two weeks in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. It is always fascinating to know how much of themselves actors have to give up to become the character they are depicting.

Abhijit Bhaduri: How did you go about preparing for the character?

Purab Kohli: Two months before we started shooting, I spent a week knowing the locals and immeresed myself into their lives. I ate their food, slept in their homes, attended their weddings, went to their markets…etc. I spent 2 days in a forest with camel herders learning to ride a camel without a saddle. “Raja” was the lead camel of the herd and he dropped me twice before I could manage to ride him without toppling. Then I came back to Mumbai and started to construct the character. I grew my moustache and picked up the exact accent of the character by working with a local theater actor.

Abhijit Bhaduri: What has been easier for you – being a VJ or movies or modelling? How does each one challenge you?

Purab Kohli: You can’t really say which one is easier. They all come with their challenges. While hosting a TV show, the challenge lies in being comfortable in front of a camera. You have to treat it like a person, but one who does not speak to you. Modeling is not about you at all. It is all about the product your modeling for. It is about looking good and not putting too much thought into emoting, which is a challenge if you are used to acting. Acting in movies also requires an element of modelling and requires you to work with the director to create a unique character.That character becomes your medium to display emotions that are required by the character on screen.

Abhijit Bhaduri: What will be the most endearing element of Jal for the audience? Is it the visuals, the story or the characters?

Purab Kohli: Girish Kohli (Director) has created very strong, memorable characters and used simple emotions to tell a story which takes the audience through an interesting journey. The visuals are breathtaking. “A Breathtakingly Photographed Tragedy of Shakespearean Proportions” is what The Hollywood Reporter quoted after seeing the film at the Busan International film festival. Why don’t you see the film and tell me what you found the most interesting.

Abhijit Bhaduri: Now that the film is over, what do you wish would be differently done?

Purab Kohli: As an actor you always feel like doing it all over again when you see the final film. After the post production, you see the film with a brand new perspective. That’s when you wish for an opportunity to do things differently and polish it one last time. But overall, as a film, I think ‘Jal’ works well.

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Talkback: Do you think a film like Jal can build awareness about water conservation more effectively?

Author

Abhijit Bhaduri is a coach to CXOs and advisor to organizations on issues of leadership. He is the former Chief Learning Officer of Wipro. He has led HR teams at Microsoft, PepsiCo, Colgate & Tata Steel. He is on the Advisory Board of the prestigious CLO program by the Univ of Pennsylvania. He is on the Governing Council of MICA, Ahmedabad. A popular keynote speaker, he has spoken at TEDx, INK, NASSCOM and at several top B Schools in India and abroad. He can be reached at abhijitbhaduri@live.com

Abhijit Bhaduri is a coach to CXOs and advisor to organizations on issues of leadership. He is the former Chief Learning Officer of Wipro. He has led HR tea. . .

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Abhijit Bhaduri is a coach to CXOs and advisor to organizations on issues of leadership. He is the former Chief Learning Officer of Wipro. He has led HR teams at Microsoft, PepsiCo, Colgate & Tata Steel. He is on the Advisory Board of the prestigious CLO program by the Univ of Pennsylvania. He is on the Governing Council of MICA, Ahmedabad. A popular keynote speaker, he has spoken at TEDx, INK, NASSCOM and at several top B Schools in India and abroad. He can be reached at abhijitbhaduri@live.com

Abhijit Bhaduri is a coach to CXOs and advisor to organizations on issues of leadership. He is the former Chief Learning Officer of Wipro. He has led HR tea. . .